National Leadership Program, Winter 2020 – Spring 2021
Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt
Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt (she/her/hers) is a writer, consultant, actress, public speaker, and advocate for disability and autism representation in the entertainment industry. She brings her lived experiences to her work as a Chinese, transracial, Jewish, autistic adoptee – creating a professional niche for herself at the intersections of entertainment, storytelling, inclusion and accessibility!
Rigelhaupt is the Autistic Creative Consultant on the Broadway musical, How to Dance in Ohio, based on Alexandra Shiva’s award-winning HBO documentary of the same name. This joyous, family-friendly musical follows seven autistic young adults (authentically cast) at a social skills center in Ohio, as they come of age, forge connections, and prepare for a spring formal dance. It premiered at the Belasco theatre in December 2023!
Additionally, she’s a writer for PBS Kids upcoming animated series, Carl the Collector. It features neurodiverse and autistic characters! She’s wrote and consulted on other kids’ tv series, many produced by 9Story Media, but can’t say what yet!
As a consultant, Rigelhaupt reviews scripts, discusses disability tropes, edits character sketches, writes casting calls, and educates studios on best practices for hiring diverse, disabled talent.
As a speaker in RespectAbility’s Training and Consulting Bureau, Rigelhaupt shares her lived experiences and expertise. She has given keynotes, spoken on panels, and collaborated in writers’ rooms. Rigelhaupt publishes articles and critiques regarding disability representation in media, interviews with entertainment professionals, and her own experiences as a disabled AAPI woman. One of her short movie scripts placed in the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival!
Previously, Rigelhaupt worked with the Kennedy Center on a neurodiversity training course, and had a year-long internship with the Nickelodeon Live Action Casting team. During her senior year at Sarah Lawrence College, Rigelhaupt was chosen to be a Ruderman Family Foundation Inclusion Ambassador. As an ambassador, she produced the college’s first sensory friendly theatrical performance along with organizing and moderating a panel of NYC professionals to discuss entertainment inclusion practices. (Sensory friendly performances are accessible to people with sensory sensitivities such as lights and sounds).
Rigelhaupt started with RespectAbility through their Lab, and later worked with them as an Entertainment Media Communications Fellow. As a fellow, she became immersed in the entertainment industry through consulting with studios such as Disney and Netflix on authentic onscreen portrayals of autism, disability, and diversity.
Rigelhaupt develops stories based on her life experiences, writing scripts on the road to her screenwriting career, while keeping her eyes peeled for auditioning opportunities! She’s determined to educate and influence the entertainment industry, creating more opportunities and authentic representations for the talented and diverse disability community.
